Brian Fies and the Art of Storytelling

I’m not going to lie; it takes a lot of guts to become a comic book artist in today’s society. For one, you’ve got to have an artistic style that not only has a unique feel to it, but also the ability to draw in the crowds and keep them in your grasp, asking for more. Second, you need to be original. There are lots of comic books out there about tight-wearing superheroes and sparkly vampires. What makes your comic so different? Finally, you’ve got to be able to take criticism. With comic books quickly becoming a dying art form in American society, you’ve got to have thick skin to survive in this profession.

With so many unflattering realities surrounding the not-so-glamorous life of a comic book artist, we soon come to understand why there aren’t that many prominent comic book artists in America to begin with. So what in the world got into Brian Fies’s head when he decided to become a comic book artist? Luckily for me, I got this question answered in person after Brian Fies came in to talk with design students about his experiences in the field of storytelling.

Brian Fies is an Eisner award-winning comic book artist best known for his work of Mom’s Cancer, an autobiographical web comic and later graphic novel that retells his family’s experiences during their mother’s fight against cancer. For Fies, cartooning had originally been just a hobby growing up. But in the event of his mother being diagnosed with lung cancer, Fies felt that a comic was the only way he could openly express his experiences when dealing with the situation; comics were his release.

The fact that Fies chose comics to tell his mother’s story is significant in itself, as many have disregarded comic books as a way of storytelling in today’s modern age. However, Fies countered this belief in his discussion by expressing how important graphic novels are in both design and storytelling. According to Fies, comics transcend the idea of just mere words and drawings. In other words, comics communicate outside of written dialogue and subtext. Not only do these comics tell stories to the reader; they evoke emotion in the readers as well.

Fies also expressed the benefits that come with being in the storytelling business. Not only are comic book artists granted a wide range of artistic freedom when it comes to artwork, writing and publishing, they are also given the luxury of working from their own home.  And by doing a job that you love, just like what Fies does with his cartooning, you learn that you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

By breathing new life into comics and the art of storytelling, Brian Fies has revealed the brighter side of being an artist in the comic book industry. Thanks to him, my childhood dream of being a comic book artist has never seemed more possible.